RYOT GRL

Chapter 5

“I cannot believe you did that. You’re not even enrolled yet and you’re already causing trouble”, my mum says, grabbing at my arm and shaking me. “Please Dodo. You need to try”. “Why. It’s not like we’re not going to move again”, I retort, and she eyes the floor. “Mum?”, I ask but before she can reply we’re interrupted by the principal. “All glad. We’ll see Dodo tomorrow. Miss Lucas”, as we do my mum practically drags me out of the receptionist. “Let’s get out of here. He asked me on a date”, she hisses, and I stifle a laugh. “What did you say?”, I say, and she gives me a perplexed look. “What do you think I said?”.

“We’re going shopping”, she announces, and I flop back in the seat of the car, already tired of the day that we’re going to spend arguing. When we get into the shopping centre, she tugs me wrapping her arm around me. “Stay close to me so they don’t think you’re going to shoplift”, she says, and I look at her completely outraged. “Don’t look at me like that. They could be looking for you after that stunt you pulled in the market”, she utters, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her. “I got away before he could take a proper look at me”, I say, and she frowns. “Why did you do that? Pour a slushie over that poor girl”, she mutters, and I can’t help but smile. “Because I heard she’s queen bee”, I chime, and my mum raises an eyebrow. “Pouring drinks over someone is not how you make friends Dodo”, she sighs. And I shrug, “Like we’re ever in one place long enough for me to make friends”, I bite back bitterly and walk off to the other end of the shop, where I can avoid her. Nothing here is my style, it’s all cropped and in disgustingly bright colours, like pastel pink and blue. I’m rifling through a rack of hoodies when I find a black one, oversized with a hood and drawstrings. I take it out the rack putting it against my body.

“Hey, stop right there”, I hear a security guard shouting and I freeze, looking around wildly for my mum. I hear him running, and I stop in my tracks unsure whether I should start running. It’s not like I’ve done anything wrong, I only took it off the rack. “Excuse me”, he bolts straight past me and I breathe a sigh of relief, before I follow him to see he’s running after someone dressed in all black. I see how the security guard chases him around the store, I’m guessing it’s because of the t shirt he’s got in his hand. The shoplifter disappears into the racks of clothing, and the security guard looks none the wiser. I put the hoodie back looking around for my mum, when I feel a hand grab my arm. I look to see Castle Maddox, dressed in all black looking around wildly. I see the security guard coming our way spotting him, and before I can tell him to start running, Castle lunges for me pressing his lips to mine. I’m so in shock, I don’t move at first, so confused about what I’m supposed to do, but then he dips my head back and I open my mouth. I feel like a million light bulbs are coursing through my veins. And then all too soon he pulls back, winking at me. “I’ll see you around Dodo”, he muses and runs out the store, the security guard slow on his tail. Then wouldn’t be the best time to tell him I’ve never been kissed before. I touch at my lips, still feeling my whole body surged with energy. “Dodo. Are you alright?”, my mum appears behind me, causing me drop my hands and I try not to look so flustered. “I heard someone say there was a shoplifter. Did you see anything?”, she asks, and I shake my head. She frowns and hauls me out of the store. When I get back home, the only thing I can do to clear my mind is draw, I draw him, the way his eyes stared intensely into mine before he pressed his lips to mine. It was powerful, like there was some connection between us. I draw him until my mum calls me for dinner and by then my hand is sore and my mind a jumbled mess. I close my notebook, putting it back in the safe place under my pillow. If there’s one thing, I know about Castle Maddox is he’s trouble. And so am I. It doesn’t take a genius to work out together we’d probably end up in jail. The first time we met it was from trying to run from the police. Besides, I can’t let anybody get close to me, I must let them hate me. Because the closer they are the higher the chance they’ll discover my secret and I’m too ashamed to let them. Whatever he thinks could happen between us, never will. I’ll make him my enemy.

“I bought you some clothes”, mum produces a bag in front of me and I’m grateful when I see mostly black and greys and a few navy-blue items in the bag. “I would have bought you something with a little more colour but then I figured there was no chance you would wear it”, she huffs, and I smirk. “Thanks Mum”, I chime, and she smiles. “Are you nervous for tomorrow?”, she interrogates, and I raise my eyebrow. “With the number of schools, I’ve been too. It’s like a job to me now”, I muse, and she frowns. “We’ll make a home here. You and me”, she replies and it’s my turn to give her a perplexed look. Normally when we move, she tries with the neighbours and goes out to the bars late to try and meet people because she wants to think she can make it work. If she gets involved with the community and feels like she’s needed then she doesn’t feel like she must move, but it’s never enough. There’s always a guy and she get scared, and she runs. It’s the way it’s always been.

“I should get some sleep”, I announce, and she nods as I take my plate to the sink. I can tell there’s something else on her mind, but I don’t press her. She’ll tell me when she’s ready. I get into bed, shoving Ruben who’s already taken over half of it. And flick through my notebook staring at my drawing of Castle. I’ve met bad boys before; I know how they work. It’s always something to do with their past or their home life that makes them act that way. Caring little for anybody and bullying anyone that looks weak and fragile to them. Despite my scary appearance and my ability to send children running just from looking at me; I’m not a bully. I don’t pray on the weak, only the popular socialites that think they can talk down to me because they splash their money or have a certain number of following on their social media. I throw my notebook down to the end of my bed, causing Ruben to lift his head up and look at me with his big sad eyes. “You need to make friends. It can’t just be me and you all the time”, I mutter to him and he moves forward, resting his head on my chest. I let myself think about Castle as I doze off. We could have been friends me and him, or after that kiss even more than that if I had wanted. But where’s the fun in that.